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incrementalism

incrementalism

3 7.5
A way of improving things by small changes over time
  • noun
  • /ˌɪnkrəˈmɛntəlɪzəm/
translation icon : incrementalismo
  • The company's strategy relies on incrementalism to implement changes slowly and effectively.

Talking about abortion was just the first step because it's radical incrementalism.

Examples

  • History shows that Medicare did not and could not achieve passage without the misrepresentation, cost concealment, tying, and incrementalism to which its supporters ultimately resorted.

    Academic text (1997)
  • As Clinton moves on from her presidential bid and Sullivan prepares to leave her post, we need to think about what "incrementalism" might be code for.

    Academic text (2017)
  • U.S. officials must make peace with incrementalism.

    Academic text (2010)
  • But this is in no way a rejection of incrementalism.

    Blog text (23)
  • We have seen the incrementalism that set the stage for the events of 1964-65.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Therefore, we believe that in addition to incrementalism, local tax policy may be used more actively to incentivize businesses.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The first lesson is that the best approach to reducing immigration is probably a form of persistent incrementalism.

    Academic text (2002)
  • No company is able to withstand creeping incrementalism when it comes to revenue.

    Blog text (12)
  • More importantly, responsive incrementalism respects the complexity of the dynamics connecting private behavior, community formation, and physicality.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The contradictions of criminal justice reform are often portrayed as a tension between the incrementalism of reform and the urgent necessity for massive structural change, or between the good intentions of reformers and the collateral consequences of their compromises.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

gradualism
vsincrementalism
1 7.5

Belief that change happens slowly and steadily over time

focuses on making changes in small practical steps rather than general belief
reformism
vsincrementalism
1 7.8

Belief in making slow changes to laws and society rather than sudden change

is a practical stepwise approach across contexts rather than only political belief

Antonyms

103 5.2

Causing a big change in how people do things

How Gradual

gradualism
1 7.5
incrementalism
3 7.5
to reform
228 3.7
revolution
810 4.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

incrementalism = incremental (transparent) = increment + al + ism

A standard nominalization: 'incremental' (increment + -al) + '-ism' denotes the doctrine or policy of gradual increases, so the meaning follows expected English formation.

Etymology

Incrementalism comes from increment, which comes from old words meaning 'to grow' or 'increase', and the ending -ism marks a practice or belief. So incrementalism is the idea of making change by small steps or small increases, like adding one brick at a time until a wall is built.